2nd Semester Article Response 1:

by Gabe K. Asper, gabeasper@hotmail.com, 3/24/08

Article Title: The Overdominance of Computers by Lowell W. Monke

I liked the controversial stance that the author takes in this article. It is interesting to read an anti-technology article from someone who obviously makes a living off of teaching technology. I liked her ideas about teaching students how to use technology responsibly. I feel that I fight that battle everyday in my classroom with I-pods and cell phones. As a teacher I understand that you can only use technology in your classroom when it is constructive and when there is a clear outcome. I have never believed in just sitting students down on computers because they will all just go straight onto Myspace! You have to provide clear guidelines and monitor that the students are on-task. As a Language Arts teacher I agree with the author that computers are detracting in many ways from student learning. I see it in the fact that my students don’t pick up novels to read as I used to when I was their age. I see it in the fact that their attention spans are so short because they are so used to being inundated by “eye candy”.

Questions I thought of while reading:
- How can computers be solely responsible for losing touch with all of these inner human capacities? Cell phones? Television?
- Isn’t mainly the job of the parent to train their child in developing interpersonal skills and experiencing real living world interactions?
- Why are teachers expected to impart moral fiber and character to their students?
- Isn’t it the job of a teacher to make technology use meaningful in their lesson plans?
- Are students really as inundated by computers as the author suggests? In my experience many students still do not have computer access, especially at home. Computers are used by economically privileged students but not as much by those who can’t afford technology.

5 good points the author makes:
1. We need to focus on teaching kids how to use computer technology responsibly.
2. Computer skills are meaningless without a connection to the physical world and community relationships.
3. Overall test scores are lower in students who have access to computers in home and at school.
4. Students are getting so much interaction with computers that they are losing a lot of personal interactions and the development of interpersonal skills. They are losing experience with real living world interactions.
5. Students are losing touch with inner human capacities such as: hope, compassion, trust, respect, a sense of belonging, moral judgment, stability, community support, parental care, and teacher competence and enthusiasm.

The author of this article plays the devil’s advocate. She argues that technology is responsible for a lot of the values that are being lost in today’s society. To me, this argument just does not hold a lot of merit. It is like all those people who were decrying rap music for causing violence. I am personally tired of all of these people placing blame on teachers and saying it is our fault or the fault of computers or whatever for the children’s lack of personal skills. There are so many factors, but poor parenting and unplanned childrearing seem to me to be the main culprits. Children are learning in a more visual way and with less academic focus than in the past. However, I believe that at the same time the moral values of our society are becoming suspect. I was raised with access to technology but I was taught to prioritize other things as well. Technology is fine as long as parents teach their kids to be good people and to do other things besides just playing games, watching shows, and using the internet. Parents are responsible for how physically active and “inner human” their children become.